WHAT IS BUSKING?

A globally expanding art discipline – a new trend. For street performances, the term busking originated in Anglophone countries and became a commonly used and understandable term around the world.

It includes a whole range of activities, it can be a musical performance, a theatrical performance, a mime act, live sculptures, painting, a so-called stand-up comedy performance or perhaps swallowing swords and other artistic pieces, even creating giant bubbles, there are no limits to imagination.

In their early days, street artists included, for example, Edith Piaf, Bob Dylan, David Gilmour from Pink Floyd, B.B. King, Joan Baez, Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin, Louis Armstrong and Rod Steward. All buskers are united by the original meaning of the Spanish word buscar=to search. Buskers are seekers of fame, freedom, independence, self-expression…

Busking is a spontaneous phenomenon which, under ideal conditions, is as less coordinated and influenced as possible. The passer-by will recognize for himself what is worth attention and what deserves to be appreciated. Busking connects people, gives space for communication, is an opportunity for a small celebration and an escape from the everyday hustle and bustle. Above all, the street is the best school for musicians, where they can learn to communicate with the audience and develop and improve their skills. Only art of sufficient quality has a chance of success.

“For artists, even experienced ones, there is perhaps no greater challenge than the direct confrontation of their art with visitors right on the street.”

WHY PILSEN BUSKING FEST AND WHAT DO WE WANT TO CHANGE?

We often hear that a city should be able to live its own life. To be not only a place where are many important institutions, shops, bars and parks. Our daily lives are accelerating, many of us spend most of our social interaction only on the Internet or necessary communication at work. You don’t see many smiles on the street, you share public space with people, but you are still alone in the end. And we don’t live like that. With the help of high-quality and diverse culture, which as a universal language can connect people, we want to revive the city of Pilsen and return active life to the streets and parks. We believe that the Pilsen Busking Fest is the best way to share our idea to as many people as possible and to give them the opportunity to discover interesting projects that they had no idea about. We will be very happy if local artists will be inspired by their more experienced colleagues from all over the world and we manage to awaken the soul of our city and ideally infect other cities. We want to see more smiles and life than just stereotypical survival.

The goal of the festival is primarily entertainment, revitalization of the streets of Pilsen, breaking out of everyday grayness and stereotypes, stirring up the city with positive vibrations, but also with strong emotions that make you think.

We had the opportunity to visit several busker festivals and busker zones in Europe. The concentration of artists from all over the world, the friendly atmosphere, excellent artistic performances, getting to know new cultures, togetherness and mutual respect were the things that completely charmed us at these festivals and helped us to decide to organize such a festival in the Czech Republic as well. in our hometown Pilsen. In this way, we want to support art in public space all year round and gradually help Pilsen to become a popular destination not only for alcohol tourism.

THE BUSKER CODE

  1. The busker does not force the attention of the listeners by standing, for example, in front of the garden of a cafe or restaurant, thus giving potential listeners the option of listening or not listening. The listener-passer-by must always have the choice to stop and listen or continue.
  2. The busker does not disturb the nighttime rules and thus also the residents of the zone where he plays.
  3. A busker must respect other buskers. Therefore, he will not play in a place where his production would meet another busker’s production and thus interfere with each other. Alternatively, the buskers will agree among themselves to take turns, see point no. 4.
  4. A busker should not play for more than two hours in one place, while having a wide enough repertoire not to repeat himself.
  5. A busker must at all times take care of the good name of busking, especially with the quality of his production and his actions.
  6. As part of the festival Pilsen Busking Fest, the busker plays only in places/zones designated for busking.